Steering device



E. 1.. SELLA.

STEERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. 1919.

Patented May 23, 11922.

intense.

EDWARD JOHN SELLA, 015 J'EWJELL, IOWA.

fiTEER'ING' DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 25, 1919. Serial no. 285,118.

steering device attachment of simple, durable and inexpensive construction adapted to be "mounted on a tractor or the like for steering a tractor from a considerable distance from the rear thereof.

More particularly it is my object to provide a device designed to be connected with the steering mechanism of a tractor as-an attachment, the entire devlce being adapted to be supported on the tractor so that it is unnecessary to mount or directly connect any parts of the attachment with the irnplement or'vehicle or the like from which the of my attachment.

tractoris steered or operated.

A further object is to provide such an attachment adapted to be used for controlling the clutch and throttle of a tractor from a point in the rear thereof.

With theseand other objects in view my parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawinns, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of an attachment embodying my invention.

Figure 2 shows a front elevation of the supporting post or bracket ilorining a part Figure shows. a sectional View taken on the line33of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a detail, sectional view of the joints of the steering mechanism. l igure 5 shows a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure l; and

Figure 6 shows a sectional view taken on the line 6- 601? Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawings, l have used the reference numeral 10to indicate generally the steeringrod of a tractor or other self-propelled device having at its upper end an angular reduced portion 11, beyond which is a screw-threaded portion 12.

v V j j improved attachment comprises a supporting bracket comprising an upright post 113, having atitsupper end atubular bearmaterial.

ing 14- and designed to be suitably supported on the frame of a tractor. A brace 15 maybe used in connection with the post 13.

My attachment comprises means for controlling the steering; post 10 from a considerable distance in the rear thereof, as,

for instance from a binder seat, or a wagon or the like.

The steering mechanism includes a inember 15 having substantially the shape of a half of an S having at one end a bearing 16 mounted on the angular portion ll of the post 10.

A washer 17 andnut 18 may be mounted on the post for holding the steering member 15 in position.

Fixed on the outer end of the member .15 is a socket 19 which is connected with a uni versal joint 20. The universal joint 20 has a socket 21 in which is received one end of a rod 22 which is preferably tubular, and

1 which may be held in position byineans of joint 20.

Received In the socket 21" of the universal joint 20 and held in position by a set screw 23 similar to that already described. is another rod 22 similar to the rod 22. The rod 22 extends through the bearing 14:.

Telescopically received in the rear end of the tubular rod 22 and mounted for slidable adjustment therein is a steering rod 30. j The rear end of the rod 22 has two preferably parallel slots 22". For locking the rod 30 in the rod 22 in any of the adjustedpositions of the rod 30 l have provided. a split locking band 22 of substantially resilient The locking band 22 has at its ends opposite flanges 22 which may be locked together by meansofa screw 22 Near the lower end of the upright post13 is an annular portion 13 below whichis a screw threaded portion 13 The brace 15 is preferably secured to said angular portion 18 above its lower edge. The angular portion 13 set in a suitable place in the seat, for instance, or in any substantially angular opening in the framewof the Patented ne as, rose.

the upper end of the post 13 is an annular groove l3. Mounted in the wall. of the socket 141. is a set-screw 14:, the inner end of which projects into the groove ill to prevent the removal. of the socket lei, but to permit the free rotation of the socket 1 F on the post 13. On the upper end of the socket 1.4L is a plate or the like l i having a corrugated or roughened face 14;.

On the lower part of the bearing 14: is a similar plate 14- having a. similar roughened face. A bolt 144 is extended through the plates 14 and 14 and may be locked by means of nuts 14$. It will be seen that by loosening the nuts is the plate in may be rotated with relation to the plate li for inclining the rod 2% to different angles with relation to the post 13, so that the steering wheel 31 may be located at a proper height for convenient operation by the driver of the machine. I

In this connection it may be mentioned that there is sufiicient play in the universal joints hereinbefore described to permit the tilting of the rod 22 in the manner just described.

It will be noted that the construction and arrangement of my device are such that the rod 30 may be tilted by adjusting the plates 14 and 14 for adjusting the wheel 31 to proper position for access by a driver, and that When the adjustment has once been made for a wagon, or hinder, or cultivator, or other piece of machinery or the like no further adjustment is necessary.

With this structure, therefore, it is unnecessary to provide any means for supporting the rear end of the steering device,

and it is, therefore, unnecessary to connect it in any Way with the implement or vehicle drawn behind the tractor, and yet the steering Wheel 31 may be swung laterally for accommodating it to the movement of the tractor.

For controlling the tractor clutch I have provided a special lever device, comprising an upright member 32 and a bracket arm 33 thereon. The bracket arm 33 is designed to be connected by means of U-bolt 3% with part of the clutch control red A. At the lower end of the upright 32 is a yoke 35 adapted to be connected with another portion of the clutch control rod.

Secured to the upper end of the upright 32 is a rope or cable 36 which extends over a pulley 37 on. the upright post 13, and thence rearwardly to position accessible to the driver on the seat of the implement or wagon or other device drawn by the tractor. Mounted on the post 13 is a transverse shaft 38 having at its ends substantially op 'positely extendingarms 39 and 40.

deemed to one of said arms is a forwardly extending throttle control rod 42.

Secured to the arms 39 and 40 are cables l and 44 extending rearwzn'dly and de signed to be controlled by the driver.

Special attention is called to the :-'tru 'turc of the member '15 in the shape of a. hall 5 or a. goose neck and to the arrangement in which the axis oi the hole in the member 1G is in line with the pivot oi the IllOll'lliOl Ill.

I have found this structure very important in the commercial development of my invention. In attaching a steering device to tructors of various makes, considerable dilliculty is experienced.

I have found that by using the goose neck. device, the hole in the member 16 can he broached to fit practically all steering posts with comparatively little diiiiculty. I h ave found that with this "structure, the pivot at the upper end of the goose neck member must be in line with the hole in the member 16 in order to insure proper operation of the device.

It will be seen that my device is of very simple and inexpensive construction and that it can be readily and easily mounted on a. tractor "frame by means of simple tools and with very few attachments.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement oil. the various parts of my device without departing from the essential spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within the scope ol" my claims:

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, an upright post, a bearing supported. thereon for adjustment in one plane, a steering rod in said bearing, means for connecting said steering rod with the steering post of a sell propelled vehicle, said means including a universal joint device, a. shal t mounted on said post, arms on said shalt, means for moving arms, and throttle control rod connected with one of said arms.

2. In a device of the class described, a suport, a steering device mounted on said suport, a shaft mounted on said support, arms a llllO tle control rod connected with one of aid arms, a lever member adapted to be coniected with a clutch control rod, a flexible nember connected with said lever, a guide device on said support, said flexibledevice being supported by said guide device.

3. In a device of the class described, means for operating a clutch control device from a distance, said means comprising a substantially upright lever having a member thereon adapted to be connected with a clutch control device and a member thereon substantially spaced from said first member, adapted to be connected with. another part of the clutch control device, substantially n said shaft, means for moving said arms.

forwardly of the first member, whereby a rearward pull on the upper end of said lever will operate said clutch control device.

4. In a device of the class described; a lever member; a connecting device on the one end of said lever adapted to readily connect said lever with a part of a clutch con trol device; an arm on said lever extending away therefrom at an angle thereto; and

means on the free end of said arm for rigidly connecting said arm with another portion of the clutch control device.

5. In an extension steering device, extension steering device members, a goose neck device, having one end connected by a universal joint with the extension steering device members and having at its other end, a hole adapted to receive steering post and arranged with its axis in line with the pivotal connection between the goose neck device and the universal joint structure.

Des Moines, Iowa March 15, 1919.

EDWARD JOHN SELLA. 

